


Fraggle Rock Café

by Hellokaelyn



Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 05:58:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16402610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: Where Ellie works at a coffee shop and has a crush on a customer named Nick.





	Fraggle Rock Café

**Author's Note:**

> Ellie is kind of ooc in this I guess, but this is the way it went in my head.

It was a normal day that Monday morning.

Ellie got up before the sun, showered, changed into her normal work attire of jeans and a black t shirt, spent some time on her laptop, fed her cat, and was out the door heading to work.

_Fraggle Rock Café_ was only a few minute drive from her apartment, so she was pulling into the employee parking lot in no time. It was a small shop, but after her apartment and her parents house in Oklahoma, it was home.

Ellie had been working there for three years and honestly loved it. Sure she got paid enough to live comfortably on but it was the people that made it so great. It was one of those places that had regular customers (all of which were nice shockingly) and so there was always familiar faces, and her coworkers were like a second family to her.

Fraggle Rock was owned by Marty and Kensi Deeks, a married couple that started the business together. They were the type of bosses that cared about their workers, they practically treated them like family. Even hosting barbecues at their house where they were all invited. Ellie practically drooled just thinking about their friend Sam and his cooking skills.

Along with Marty and Kensi were Ellie’s friends/coworkers. While she got along with everyone there were two people she worked with more (and so became closer to). Alex and Abby were her best friends, though lately she had been working more shifts with Alex.

Ellie right away started stocking things when she got inside, made sure the food they did serve was ready, and get the coffee machines ready.

“Hey.” She heard behind her.

“Hey Alex, any trouble this morning?”

Alex draped herself across the counter with a frustrated groan. Ellie bit her lip to keep from laughing. Every time Alex worked a morning shift, Ellie found herself having to listen to her friend complain about the grumpy old man in the apartment next to her that waited for her every morning to follow Alex to her car to complain about how much noise she made that morning.

At first Ellie felt bad...but then it just became amusing.

“Laugh all you want-” Alex pointed at her with a glare. “But it’ll come back to bite you on the ass, just you watch.”

Ellie snickered. “I’m sure it will.”

* * *

While Ellie liked most of the customers that came into the café, there was that _one_ customer that always caught her attention.

At first he was just the _very_ attractive man that came in every morning starting six months ago always ready to buy his coffee and bagel, but something about him really caught her attention. It wasn’t like she knew anything about him except his name was Nick (from when she needed his name for his order), he always had a gym bag with him, and would sometimes come in with a British guy who while was attractive too..didn’t catch her attention like Nick.

For all she knew, he had a girlfriend, was engaged, or even married.

Ellie thinks it was his smile that started her little crush.

Eventually, Alex and Abby had found out about it (her slight blushing when she took his order was a big clue to them since she _never_ reacted like that). The two had fun teasing her but thankfully with Abby taking later shifts she only had to deal with one person's teasing lately.

Somehow she always knew the exact moment Nick walked in.

She glanced over from the corner of her eye while handing a customer their coffee.

“Have a good day!” She told them, smile in place.

Ellie glanced over at Alex who was taking orders, but the other woman was walking _away_ from the counter while Nick was walking to it.

“What’re you doing?” Ellie hissed at her.

Alex smirked. “Oh sorry, can you take over for a second? Bathroom break.”

“Alex.” Ellie whispered harshly, but she only gave Ellie a little push.

Nick was watching the whole thing. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks. God, she hasn’t reacted like this to anyone since her first boyfriend!

“Good morning!” Ellie smiled brightly the best she could once she was standing in front of him.

“Morning.” Nick said, smiling back. She felt her stomach flutter at his voice. Okay she was pathetic..

“Same coffee and bagel?”

Nick raised an eyebrow.

Ellie flushed. “You um order the same thing every time so-”

He chuckled. “No worries, i’ll have the same thing.”

“O-Okay…” Ellie cleared her throat as she put in his order.

Once paid, she handed him his little receipt slip. Nick smiled at her again as he walked over to the side to wait for his order.

“So?”

Ellie squeaked and jumped, spinning around to glare at Alex.

“What the hell was that!” She whispered.

“Uh I had to empty my bladder?”

“Alex we both know you didn’t really have to go.” Ellie huffed.

Alex shrugged. “You like taking his order, get your daily dose of muscle man.”

Ellie groaned. “I really wish you wouldn’t call him that.”

“Hey Abby said it first.”

“It doesn’t mean you have to go along with it!”

“Uh...guys?”

Both of them spun around to face Kasie, the youngest person who worked there.

“Order is up.” Kasie said with a barely hidden smile. Great, like she needed another person getting on her case.

She gave both of them a glare before grabbing Nick’s coffee and bagel.

“Here ya go!”

“Thanks.” Nick’s eyes darted over to behind her. Ellie spun around to see a sheepish looking Alex and Kasie. “Your uh friends are a little eccentric in the morning huh?”

Ellie let out a nervous laugh. “Um yeah I guess you can say that.”

Nick chuckled. “Have a good day.”

He waved as he walked away, and for something so simple she couldn’t help but smile.

Until she heard giggling behind her.

Ellie turned around with a glare.

“What were you two doing behind my back?!”

“Oh shit.” Alex mumbled.

Kasie let out a small squeaking noise. “I uh...gotta go clean some tables!”

Before Ellie could say anything to her, Kasie had grabbed one of the cleaning rags and darted out from behind the counter.

“Alex..”

“Oh look, a customer!”

* * *

Nick had continued to come in every morning that week, and each day he’d have another small conversation with Ellie.

But this Monday, he had come in with his British friend.

“Morning, Nick.” Ellie greeted when they reached the counter. She could see Alex checking out Nick’s friend but chose to ignore her.

“Morning, Ellie.” Nick grinned.

His friend cleared his throat with a raised eyebrow. Nick rolled his eyes.

“This is my friend Reeves, don’t mind him.”

Ellie laughed. “Nice to meet you, Reeves.”

“Don’t listen to him, he has this annoying habit of calling me by my last name. You on the other hand can call me Clay.” He said with a wink, Ellie noticed Nick frown at him for a second before he rolled his eyes once again.

Ellie could have sworn she noticed Nick step on Clay’s foot who winced a little. She took their order, but instead of leaving like they usually did, they walked over to one of the tables by the window and sat down. Right away they seemed to be talking in hushed voices.

She walked over to Alex who was putting in fresh coffee.

“Do me a favor?”

Alex smirked. “You want me to listen in, don’t you?”

Ellie gave her a sheepish look. “Possibly..”

“I’ll do you one even better.” Alex grinned as she slipped out her phone. “I’ll record it for you.”

“Alex have I told you lately how much I love you?”

She laughed loudly. “Not since I made you your own batch of my brownies!”

Ellie shrugged. “They were like heaven in my mouth.”

Alex scoffed. “Okay you weirdo, be right back.”

Both Nick and Clay were too into their conversation to even realize Alex was pretending to clean near them, her phone peeking just enough out of her apron pocket.

Ellie took care of the customers until Alex came back, which didn’t take long.

“I sent it to you.” Alex mumbled to her as she came back. “Though if I were you, I’d wait till your off shift and at home to listen to it.”

Ellie paled. “Oh god is it that terrible?!”

Alex snickered. “Trust me, it’s not terrible _at all_.”

* * *

Ellie listened and waited till she was settled on her couch to open up the voice recording.

_“Dude, what the hell was that?!”_

_“No idea what you’re talking about, mate.”_

_“You were flirting with her!”_

_“What? That’s called being friendly Nick.”_

_“Yeah..friendly flirting!”_

_“Calm down, you know I’m not interested.”_

_“Right..sorry.”_

_“What’s got you so worked up?”_

_“Nothing, just having a off day.”_

_“You know I can always tell when you’re lying...wait do you like her?!”_

_“Shut up! Someone will hear you!”_

_“Wow...Nick Torres actually likes someone, is the world ending?”_

_“Ha..ha..very funny, you can take your funny and shove it up your-”_

_“Hey hey! No need to be crass. You really do like her though, like in a serious way?”_

_“Yeah...I don’t know, there’s something about her.”_

Ellie stared at her phone open mouthed.

Until she let out a very loud squeal.

Mr. Waffles jumped up from his spot in the armchair with a hiss at the sudden loud noise.

“Sorry buddy.” Ellie said with a laugh, still feeling giddy off what she heard.

Her cat only gave her what she figured was a glare before stalked off towards her room where she had no doubt he was getting payback by covering her pillows in his fur.

Ellie quickly called Alex.

“He likes me!”

Alex laughed. _“Told you it wasn’t terrible.”_

“God I can’t believe it. Wait...you don’t think he has a girlfriend or anything and is just having some fun, right?”

_“Ellie be serious, while that man would gladly have you under him-”_ “Alex!” _“-I can guarantee he only has eyes for you, you don’t see the looks he gives you.”_

“Really?”

_“Girl, are we back in high school? Did I miss the memo where we went back in time?”_

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Sorry I just...you know there hasn’t been anyone since Jake, and Nick is just-”

_“Completely different then your usual type?”_

“Yes!” Ellie exclaimed. “And guys like him never go for girls like me-”

_“What? You’re hot, what the hell are you talking about.”_

She laughed. “Well thanks but that wasn’t what I meant. I mean he’s the guy girls fall over, the popular guy-” _“Seriously ARE we back in high school?”_ “-And I’m the girl who has conversations with her cat and watches nerdy shows!”

_“Maybe you should consider that Nick may look the part, but it doesn’t mean he fits the part. You know as well as I do that what you see on the outside can be deceiving.”_

Ellie couldn’t help but wince at that comment. Boy did she know that well. Jake on the outside had fit the good man faithful part to a T, but he had no problem cheating on her in the end.

Maybe it was a good thing that Nick didn’t fit her usual type.

* * *

A week had gone by since Ellie found out.

She had gone through that week blushing like crazy when Nick talked to her.

Of course Alex found the whole thing amusing to no end.

It seemed like it’d be any other Monday. Until Nick didn’t leave with a bye and a wave when he got his order.

“Hey...Ellie?”

Her head shot up. “Y-Yeah?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?”

Ellie’s eyes widening, her mouth dropping open a little.

“I uh...um..”

“She’d love to!” Alex suddenly shouted from beside her.

She knew her face looked like a tomato. _God you’re a grown woman Ellie...woman up!_

Nick chuckled. “Ellie?”

She could do nothing but nod her head, maybe a little more frantically then she should.

He grinned. Alex quickly grabbed a napkin and a pen from her apron, scribbling down something before sliding it over to Nick.

“Here’s her number!”

“Alex!” Ellie sputtered out.

Nick laughed, his smile big. “I’ll call you later, Ellie.” And with a wink towards her, he was gone.

Ellie dropped herself across the counter, thankful for the empty shop.

“Well...that went well!”

She groaned. “I looked like an idiot.”

“Nah you’re fine, I guarantee he thought you were _adorable_.”

“Ugh go away.”

“Hm so mean to the person who gave your number to your future husband.”

“Alex…”

“Yeah yeah, shutting up.”

* * *

That next Monday Ellie was practically bouncing as she waited for Nick to come in. They had gone on a date Friday, and it had gone perfectly. Nick had no problem making her laugh, and usually Ellie didn’t like a guy with a big ego but she found it amusing on him, but he was also nice and a gentleman. After their date, he had walked her to her apartment door where he kissed her.

Ellie swore she felt sparks.

Since then, they had been texting practically non stop. They learned more about each other and she found her crush on him growing.

“Hey, Ellie.” He said with a big grin when he walked up the counter.

Ellie still couldn’t help but blush as she grinned back. “Long time no see.”

Nick smirked. They had only seen each other around seven hours ago when he had left her apartment finally to get some sleep.

“Ugh would you two just kiss already?!” Alex threw her hands up with a groan from behind Ellie.

“Well if she insists..” Nick said in a teasing tone.

Ellie laughed as Nick leaned on the counter a little, Ellie happily meeting him halfway for a short kiss (She _was_ at work after all).

“Thanks!” Alex snickered.

Both of them whipped their heads towards her to see her holding up her phone.

“That was a _cute_ picture.”

“Alex!” Ellie shouted, but she couldn’t help the laughter in her voice.

Nick leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Make sure to get it and send it to me later.”

Ellie chuckled with a small blush. “No problem.”

This time when Nick left, he gave her a kiss on the cheek instead of a wave.

She leaned against the counter letting out a happy sigh.

“I better be the maid of honor at your wedding.”


End file.
